Fluid transportation device

Abstract

A fluid transportation device includes: an outer case having a sealed space; a tube having elasticity; a fluid transport mechanism having fingers that occlude the tube and a cam that successively presses the plurality of fingers; a driving force transmission mechanism disposed so as to be overlapped with the fluid transport mechanism, and transmitting a driving force to the fluid transport mechanism; a reservoir disposed at a position so as not to overlap the fluid transport mechanism and the driving force transmission mechanism; a port through which the fluid is injected into the reservoir; and an electric power supply supplying electric power to the driving force transmission mechanism. In this fluid transportation device, at least the fluid transport mechanism, the driving force transmission mechanism, and the electric power supply are housed in the sealed space of the outer case.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-332450, filed on Nov. 17, 2005, Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-030580, filed on Feb. 8, 2006, Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-070685, filed on Mar. 15, 2006, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-304456, filed on Nov. 9, 2006, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND [0002] 1. Technical Field [0003] The present invention relates to a fluid transportation device, in which a tube is pressed to make a fluid flow. [0004] Specifically, this invention relates to a structure of a fluid transportation device, in which a driving force transmission mechanism for watch movement is used as a fluid transport mechanism, the fluid transport mechanism and the driving force transmission mechanism are overlapped, these mechanisms and a reservoir are positioned in a planarly shifted configuration, and the mechanisms are sealingly housed in...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0034] An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to provide a fluid transportation device, in which compactness and thinness are realized and which enables additional injection of a fluid into a reservoir at an arbitrary timing, enables microscopic amounts of the fluid to be made to flow continuously and sustainedly, and is highly safe.

[0035] An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to provide a fluid transportation device, which, in use upon subcutaneous implantation in an animal, etc., enables a drug solution (fluid) to be fed continuously and with stability.

[0036] An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to provide a fluid transportation device, with which a drug solution (fluid) can be supplied from the exterior to a reservoir reliably.

Problems solved by technology

However, with a structure that enables such operation, it is difficult to ensure waterproofness between the pump module and the motor module, and thus implantation inside a living body is not satisfactory.

In assembling by engaging the pinion and the gear in this manner, because the pinion and the gear are normally not matched in phase, the workability is significantly poor.

It is also predicted that the pinion and the gear become flawed easily, and this may obstruct driving in the case of low torque driving using a step motor for a watch.

Furthermore, to perform driving upon addition of the drug solution, the reservoir must be exchanged, and this may cause interruption of continuous injection of the drug solution.

H5-74511, because a drug solution feeding unit is disposed at the exterior of the experimental animal, the drug solution feeding unit tends to move away from the experimental animal when the experimental animal moves around and there is thus the danger that the catheter will become removed from the experimental animal.

Also, because the catheter is inserted into the experimental animal, there is a high possibility of the occurrence of inflammation of the skin at the inserted portion, etc.

A drug solution therefore cannot be fed continuously and quantitatively to an experimental animal.

Also, the above documents do not provide any considerations in regard to the external shape for reducing, as much as possible, discomfort to an animal when subcutaneously implanting a device into the animal.

Thus, within the fluid transportation device, these two components are comparatively large in capacity / volume.

When such a fluid transportation device is implanted under a skin of an experimental animal, the skin is pulled unnecessarily or the device applies pressure and inflicts discomfort or injury.

When such a fluid transportation device is implanted under the skin of an experimental animal, the device pulls the skin unnecessarily, applies pressure, or inflicts injury.

With the above arrangement, when, in a case where the inclined surfaces are formed, the drug solution feeder is implanted under the skin of an animal, the skin of the animal is pulled according to the volume and height of the drug solution feeder, and in the worst case, the skin is injured.

Images